Whilst I dont want to knock Lucky or any other brand (any brand will give you years of good service) it is worth taking a very close look at the quality of the biners you buy, wiggle the gates from side to side (transverse to the direction of opening) is there play or are they solid? Repeatedly open and close the gate, is the action smooth or is there some stickiness? Does the gate snap closed properly? What finish is on the body of the biner, is it anodized or electroplated, or is it hard chrome? (Hard chrome [super smooth and shiny silver] is probably your best bet as it is the most durable).

Tape (the soft bit) should be swopped out every few years to ensure safety anyway so is less important. A high quality biner can on the other hand last your entire climbing career if properly cared for! Cheaper brands will wear through at the bolt end (some even at the rope end) quicker lasting perhaps only a few years. If you are super safety concious and wish to replace your biners every five years (recommended by manufacturers - read between the lines) then wear and tear is not such an issue. However a high end biner will take far more abuse before requiring replacement.

I have biners that are fifteen years old (some older) and these are still 100% servicable and safe. You get what you pay for. If the idea of using old gear freaks you out then maybe cheaper gear is ok, besides less money spent on gear = more money for road trips, more trips = more climbing experiences. But chat to some older climbers and get recommendations (Im not going endorse any particular brand [hint-my biners are made by a company starting with the letter D]). Ultimately your budget may determine what you get. Also look out for decent second hand gear for sale, dont rush into buying, in the long haul you can save yourself a packet by shopping wisely.

Hi Earthman.
Nothing wrong with Lucky. As far as I can recall, they are manufactured in Catalunya and are officially endorsed by the FEEC (the Catalan mountaineering federation) with 55000 members.
The reason why Lucky, Faders, Camp and other Spanish brands are cheaper than other brands in that Spanish wages are substantially lower than the rest of Europe. Currently Catalunya has the highest ratio of varsity graduates per capita than any other country in the world.
Everyone at Lucky has a post-grad engineering degree.
They also manufacture all the equipment branded as Vaude in France.

_________________Inspiration exists, but it must find you working. – Pablo Picasso

Yeah dude, some people say draws are draws... until you start cleaning really overhanging routes, when you'll be kicking yourself for not getting notchless draws, they're easier to get off when gravity if pulling you away from the rock. Lucky makes pretty nice draws with a notchless solid gate on the bolt side and a wiregate on the rope side, dunno what they're called.

Lookee here...

Notice the inside edge of the nose is smooth, compared to something like this:

If you can lay your hands on Lucky QD's, buy them fast as the agents are not bringing them in any longer.

Else, my advice is to go for better quality draws that feel solid and clip nicely, unless your budget does not allow for it. Try and compare cheap and expensive draws by actually clipping a rope into the bottom 'biner using just one hand.

Then consider that in a normal weekend you may be doing that about 150 times.

The notchless Lucky draw being referred to is the Guitar/easyclip. They're not the lightest, and they don't have the best gate action, but they open and close (at the right times), they are strong enough and carry all the required ratings, and they come at a great price. And Gus is right--get them while you can, 'cause they ain't gonna be around much longer. Buy me a coffee and I'll explain, but it's one of those complicated stories about corporate takeovers, etc. Yes, that happens in the climbing world too. Having said all that, let me reveal the inner snob in me and say that you won't find Lucky on my rack--not because they're unsafe, just because draws from some of the other brands in SA (I won't mention names so that no one can accuse me of a hidden agenda) do work a lot better (Gus' point). But hey, I drive a beat up bakkie because I can't afford to drive a Merc/Beamer/Jag/etc. and the bakkie still gets me from point A to B safely (well, most of the time...) Maybe I should spend less on draws and more on transport?

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